Officers called the body cameras their best defense -- an unbiased recording of what goes on during their shifts.

Now, animal control and reserve officers will wear the body cameras, starting this month.

"I'm afraid to leave the building without it. I love using it, mostly for liability reasons to cover myself," Officer Tommy Bazan told KCRA 3 on Monday.

Bazan said at first, wearing the camera took a little getting used to, but now, turning on the recording device has become a habit.

It's a habit, Bazan said, that helps him feel more at peace -- knowing that if there is a complaint against him, his supervisor can always refer back to the recording to see exactly what happened.

The body cameras, made by Taser, are worn by every uniformed officer, and need to be turned on at the start of the shift and turned in by the end of the day.

All the video recordings are then uploaded into a cloud.

Sgt. Garrett Crawford said these recording have greatly enhanced the department's work.

The recording are used in every investigation, Crawford added.

They're also used by the District Attorney's Office during prosecution.

Crawford said so far, the new technology has worked like a breeze -- and proves to be much more useful than the dashboard cameras, which limit recordings to in and around the patrol cars.

Now, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department is also looking to test out the body cameras.

Crawford said the cameras also may be used by the department's animal and reserve officers, so they too will have the "independent witness" with them at all times.

Crawford said animal control officers often get into heated situations with pet owners, and need the back up, just in case.

For Bazan, who has had complaints filed against him when he used to primarily give out traffic citations, he said the body cameras provide an answer as to who is telling the truth -- and they also hold the officer accountable, should something go wrong.

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